Salvation
by Verbal76
Summary: From the SWG world. A character background that reached around 5 chapters that I hope to complete someday if it gets some positive feedback.
1. Chapter 1 Meditation

PART 1

Meditation

Alone.

Quiet.

This is how Verbal prefers it when he is deep in meditation, healing his wounds from the events of the day.

Energy from the world around him flows through his body, regenerating his strength and helping him to focus his mind. Anyone who would pass by at a moment such as this and see what is happening would run screaming into the wild. Verbal sits on his knees with his head bowed, horns like those of a demon protruding from his skull. Wounds that most doctors would have trouble healing seem to just close on their own as if they never existed, leaving only bloody splotches as evidence that anything was ever wrong.

He is one of the few left of his kind. Those trained to hunt and kill the Jedi with only their bare hands. Once one has mastered the arts of the Ancient Teras Kasi he is nearly untouchable in combat and can withstand almost any force without protection.

Verbal had almost been outmatched earlier in the day when he stumbled upon a Krayt Dragon. He now curses himself about being careless; he had barely escaped with his life. His mind had been places it should not been while traveling in the wild. On her, the woman he pined for but knew he would never have.

"A Jedi knows no love," he whispers to himself, "Nor does the Teras Kasi."

"Focus," he tells himself. "Concentrate on healing, thoughts like these will only lead to more pain and suffering."

A tear rolls down his cheek as he focuses his channeled energy throughout his entire being. One would think that in this state he was vulnerable, open to an attack that he would never see coming. A chance to strike him dead with a single blow perhaps? It had been tried in the past, and the attacker quickly discovered how wrong he had been.

In this state Verbal can sense everything around him, he almost becomes one with his immediate surroundings. The plants, water, and air all around him become his eyes, ears and nose while meditating. He can even feel the presence of the creature that now watches him from under a low hanging branch. He knows the creature is preparing to make a meal out of him, yet he continues his meditation, unmoving.

The creature begins silently moving from his hiding spot low on its haunches, like a cat about to pounce on a mouse. Its lips part into a fierce manical grin showing long discolored fangs and teeth. The creature leaps at its prey with a howl that would make many a man's blood run cold.

When the creature lands on the opposite side of Verbal it is dead. Its neck snapped in mid air and done so quickly the creature never knew what had happened. Verbal is still on his knees with his body only slightly twisted at the waist, head up, and arms still raised into the empty air where the creature's neck had just been in his hands.

"A mistake you will never have the chance to make again," he told the lifeless beast as he settled back into his meditative position.

She runs through his thoughts again. She is the one part of his mind he has less and less control over lately and that causes a deep aching in his heart. An aching that will surely never subside.

"Concern-" he begins to tell himself but is cut off by the sounds of screaming in the distance. He listens intently for anything else. He hears more screaming from many men, women, and children.

"A village under attack?" he asks himself, "But who would-" A sound carries to his ear bringing him the answer to that last question, the electrical crackle of a light saber.

"A Jedi." He whispers as the edge of his lips crease into a grin.


	2. Chapter 2 Death Sentance

PART 2

Death Sentence

The first time Verbal ever saw her he was a slave to the Empire and she was the daughter of a powerful colonel to the very faction that had enslaved him.

Verbal was enslaved at the age of 15 and spent his teen years bouncing from planet to planet working in the slave mines controlled by the Empire throughout the galaxy. At the age of 22 he was transferred to a spice mine on Yavin IV that was controlled by Col. Armas Fasquelle.

Verbal spent most of his days working away underground but in the evenings is when he got to do what he really enjoyed; helping to train Fasquelle's men in hand to hand combat. Verbal basically was used as a punching bag; he was to pull all his punches and was never to injure any of Fasquelle's men under penalty of death. It was one of these moments that he first laid eyes on Zonia.

He was in the fighting circle, dodging blows and letting a few hit him so he did not get beaten before he was locked in his bunk for the night. He was face down on the ground, covered in dirt and his own blood with soldiers cheering for his opponent and laughing and pointing at him when Fasquelle entered.

"Gentlemen," Fasquelle shouted to get his men's attention, Zonia standing next to him, "Against my better judgment my daughter has begged me to come watch your training."

His men began to cheer, Zonia was beautiful and they all fantasized about being with her, this was their chance to impress her.

Verbal knew he was in for a real beating this evening as he lifted himself off the ground and glanced up at her. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her. She was the most amazing thing he had ever seen, long auburn hair, green eyes sparkling like emeralds, blood red lips, and a pale complexion to bring out the colors of her features. His eyes met hers and he felt lost in them. A faint smile touched her lips. Verbal instantly dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

"Looks like our slave has more manners than I would have expected," Fasquelle said, indicating Verbal.

Verbal was covered in dirt and filth and knew he could meditate and heal without anyone noticing his wounds closing. None of these people knew of his ancient abilities and that is how it had been for years.

"Who shall be first to impress my daughter with their fighting abilities?" Fasquelle asked his men.

All 40 or so men answered at once that they wanted to be the one to marvel her with their skills.

Verbal remained unmoving on his knees channeling strength back into his entire being. "I shall be the one," he said to himself.

"You," Fasquelle said pointing to one of his men, "You shall be first."

Victor Dowdell, one of the largest men in the group stepped forward into the ring, "Thank you Colonel" he said, bowing his head in respect. He then looked at Verbal and shouted "On your feet slave!"

Verbal gracefully hopped up onto his feet and raised his head and looked again at Zonia. She was still looking at him, her smile still barely there. Victor walked up behind him and whispered into his ear "Go down quickly and I will be easy on you, Slave."

Verbal turned to face his opponent who was already in his fighting stance.

"Begin!" Fasquelle shouted.

Victor charged at Verbal and the fight finished so quickly that most of those watching only saw Victor land face first onto the ground with his heart clenched in Verbal's fist. Murmurs rolled through the crowd. Fasquelle stood with his mouth agape. Verbal held the heart towards Zonia as though it were some sort of ritualistic offering.

They stood for a moment staring into each others sole's. She did not look horrified at what he had done like everyone else did. "My heart for you," he whispered to her. She knew what he had whispered from nearly 20 feet away and her faint smile broadened.

"Seize him!" Fasquelle screamed to his men.

Within seconds verbal had nearly 30 blasters pointed at him yet he continued gazing into Zonia's eyes and she into his.

Verbal was grabbed on either side and forced to his knees in front of Fasquelle.

"Captain Bell," Fasquelle said to one of the men in the group, "I want all of our men and all of the slaves to be present at the amphitheater at dawn. We are going to make an example of this slave's disobedience. He shall be executed at first light."

Verbal remained on his knees, his expression never changing, looking into Zonia's eyes.

Zonia's smile faded and a single tear rolled down her cheek.


	3. Chapter 3 An Unwelcome Surprise

PART 3

An Unwelcome Surprise

He shoved the thoughts aside again. The words "He shall be executed at first light." echoing through his head.

Blood was pounding in his ears as he neared the village. The screams had died down upon his approach. "This would have been much quicker if you had brought your land speeder" he told himself. His breath burned his throat as he neared exhaustion. Finally Verbal broke through a tree line and could see the village roughly 1000 meters in front of him. He stopped and listened intently. He could hear nothing now. Verbal knew that all that meant was everyone in the village was either dead or too injured to make any noise. He could not tell if the Jedi was still there.

Verbal stood for a moment catching his breath before carefully making his way toward the village. He headed strait towards a large guild hall on the edge of town closest to him. He knew that was the safest way into the village. The hall would partially cover his walk to the village so he would not so easily be spotted.

As he got closer he got a whiff of something strong in the air. So strong he could almost taste it. "Burnt flesh" he told himself. A smell he had experienced before, but not as strong as this. "How many have you killed" he asked quietly.

Verbal made it behind the hall without seeing anyone at all; he just hoped no one had seen him. He crept slowly around the side of the hall so he could get a look into the village itself. When he worked his way to the front corner he saw the first body, an unarmed woman that had been cut nearly in half. Then he saw another body, and another.

He crept around to the front of the hall and found a statue that would help him stay hidden. The guild hall stood at the end of one of the main roads that led right to the city hall. The bodies of men, women and children lay scattered everywhere. "But who?" he asked himself, "Not even a dark Jedi is capable of this."

A scream broke the silence from somewhere near city hall. "NO!"

Verbal left the protection of the statue for a better view. What he saw made his blood run cold.

A young man, no more then 16 years old ran from one of the side streets onto the main avenue. "WE'VE DONE NOTHING TO YOU!" he screamed as he ran stumbling for his life, "PLEASE-" the young man was cut off as a Jedi wearing a dark cloak flew from the alley way he had just run from. A blue saber ignited in mid air and the Jedi's whole body twisted as its blade whipped through the young man's body, cauterizing the wound as it cut through. The young man fell to the ground; torso and legs landed about 3 meters from each other. The blue saber instantly disappeared as the Jedi landed in a roll and sprung to its feet graceful as a cat.

"These attacks were unprovoked, why would anyone do this?" Verbal asked himself. "Perhaps I should find out."

Verbal stepped into the middle of the avenue as the Jedi dusted off its cloak. "JEDI!" he screamed.

The Jedi looked down the avenue at Verbal. The blue saber ignited again as the Jedi began running towards him. Verbal watched the Jedi come, black cloak billowing in the air as it gained speed. Verbal saw no face, just a black cloth protecting its identity. The Jedi was traveling like a bolt of lightning towards him, never had he seen any creature move so fast, not even a Jedi.

The Jedi was upon him almost instantly, Verbal spun to the ground swinging his leg to try and knock the Jedi off balance but the Jedi just hopped over and swung its saber downward at him. Verbal barely rolled out of the way as the saber scorched the earth just inches from his head. He recovered to his feet quickly ready for another attack but the Jedi kept moving towards the opposite side of the guild hall that Verbal had moments before crept from.

Verbal gave chase. The Jedi made it around the corner of the guild hall and verbal heard a speeder jump to life. Out from around the corner of the hall the Jedi sped on its speeder and strait at verbal again. The blue saber sprung to life again as the Jedi stood and prepared to strike again. Verbal dropped and rolled out of the way, he reached into his cloak and pulled out his old vibro knucklers and sprung back to his feet. He took aim and threw the knucklers at the assailant. The Jedi looked back at Verbal just in time to see the knucklers spinning like a whirlwind, only meters away. The Jedi went to grab the knucklers out of the air but miss calculated and got its finger nearly sliced off. The knucklers fell to the dirt and the speeder turned at the city hall and sped away from the village.

Verbal kneeled and listed, making sure the speeder did not change direction and return. After a few moments the sound of the speeder faded completely. He stood and walked to where his knucklers had fallen. On the blade was exactly what he had hoped to find, fresh blood. He picked them up and headed towards city hall. At city hall he found a map of the city. He located the med center and headed that way.

"Let's find out who you are," he said to himself.

Verbal walked to the med center passing roughly 50 dead bodies on the way. When he stepped inside he located the hospitals medical droid and switched it on.

"Greeting Doctor Harrison- you are not Dr Harrison-" the droid began but Verbal cut it off.

"I believe your doctor is dead, you are going to help me find out who killed him and the rest of the villagers." Verbal told it.

"Of course sir," the droid replied.

Verbal gave the droid the blood sample from the knucklers and the droid promptly went to work analyzing the DNA.

A while later while meditating Verbal was approached by the droid. "Sir," he said, "I have the results."

Verbal jumped to his feet and took the data pad the droid handed him. "This is impossible," he said staring at the data pad.

"Sir, I assure you my analysis is correct-" the droid began but was cut off.

"Where is your comm?" Verbal asked the droid.

The droid indicated a bank of computers in the corner. Verbal went and sat down and opened a comm link to the only people he knew he could trust, those who took him in after all he had was taken from him.

The comm crackled to life, "Verb, where the hell have you been?" it was Phoe.

"Phoe I need you and Alaera to run a DNA scan through your contacts and get me any information you can." Verbal replied.

"Sure thing buddy, who is it?" Phoe asked.

"Transmitting you the information now." Verbal said, "Stand by."

Verbal inserted a wire from the data pad into the comm and pressed a button.

A moment later the comm came to life again. "Verb, we just got the info," it was Alaera this time, "This DNA sample is from Zonia."

"I know," he replied trying to hide the emotions he got when he heard her name spoken aloud.

"Verb… Zonia died almost 3 years ago by your own hand, why are you sending me this?" Alaera asked with great concern in her voice.

"Zonia's still alive," he replied, "Somehow… she is still alive"


	4. Chapter 4 Salvation

PART 4

Salvation

Alone.

Quiet.

Dark.

Verbal rested on his knees on the hard, cold metal floor of his holding cell awaiting his death yet all he could think about was the beautiful apparition that stood in front of him when he had ripped the Imperial's heart from his chest and offered it to her as his own heart. Part of his mind kept asking why he had done it while the rest of his mind confirmed that he had no other option. When he saw her face a feeling of great need for her consumed him and his pride would no longer let him fall to the ground beaten bloody anymore. He would do it again, would do it a million times to see the smile she had flashed him.

Dark.

Quiet broken with footsteps.

No longer alone, someone was approaching his cell.

Time to die?

"Slave…" came a whisper from the other side of his small cell. Four metal walls and large metal door with a slot for tossing in random chunks of what he believed to be food.

A female, his heart began to ache. It was her. He had never heard her voice yet he knew who it was.

Foot steps stop outside his cell.

"Slave…" the female voice again, "My name is Zonia." He heard her as she kneeled at the cell door.

"I am about to die and you come to tease me with your voice," was Verbal's only reply.

"You felt it too," Zonia said with confusion in her voice, "I don't know what it was either but when I saw you I felt I must have you or I would die. I could tell by your actions you felt it too."

A tear rolled down Verbal's cheek. He wished he could hold her in his arms. His whole being ached to touch her. She was so close yet felt galaxies away to him not being able to touch her. He did not say anything.

"What is your name?"

He wanted to hear his name come from her lips yet he also refused to spend an eternity in hell haunted by these things, "Verbal," he said and cursed himself for giving in to his feelings.

"Verbal," she repeated.

Tears began flowing from his eyes, "Zonia," he said almost desperately. His body shuddered and he could no longer hide the sound of his crying. He heard the metal slot in the door open and new she had slid her hand through. He quickly moved on his knees to the door and grasped her hand in his own and held it against his cheek. He now heard her quiet sobs as well. "What is this?" he asked, "What power has consumed our hearts?"

"I wish I knew," she replied "but I don't," her sobs became louder, "I can't let you die, I'll find a way to free you." she cried.

"I can't let you risk your own life for my own, you would be killed." he replied.

"My father wouldn't kill me, ever."

"I've been labeled a traitor to the Empire. If the Emperor ever found out that you helped a traitor to escape it would not matter whose daughter you were. You would be hunted down and executed as well. No one would be able to help you." he replied.

"You could help me. You could protect me. I don't think I could go on living knowing that I let you die." she sounded desperate. It made him want to hold her and comfort her. The feelings were maddening. "There are only two guards between us and the freedom to be together… forever." she said.

"Zonia… please…" he wanted to tell her no, to tell her to go now and forget about him, but he could not. "be careful." is what came out of his mouth. "Please be careful Zonia."

"I will," she replied. She pulled his hand through the slot of the door. He felt her lips kiss the back of his hand and it sent shocks through his entire body. His tears began flowing strong again. "I'll be right back." she said then paused and said, "I love you…" She pulled her hand out of his and stood.

Verbal jumped to his feet and pressed his body against the door as though he were trying to hug her through it. "I love you too." is all he managed to say before he heard her foot steps travel back down the hall the way she had come.

Verbal fell back to his knees and prayed with everything inside him that she would be okay. He knew that if something happened to her he would take his own life before Colonel Fasquelle had the opportunity.

What only took a few moments in reality seamed to take an eternity to Verbal. Thoughts of something horrible happening to Zonia flooded his mind. She had been caught trying to steal the key card from one of the guards and been detained in her quarters, or worse she had been killed in a struggle for the key card. His hope was draining minute by minute.

Hope quickly returned when he heard footsteps approach again. Then the sound of a key card sliding through the electronic reader. The locking mechanism released and the door cracked open. Verbal's heart pounded so hard he was afraid it may explode in his chest. "Zonia," it came out almost as a croak.

"Verbal," she replied as she pushed the door open. With the light in the hall he was able to see her face. Her beautiful smiling face as she rushed into his cell.

Verbal jumped to his feet and took her in his arms, clutching onto her as though his life depended on it. His lips found her forehead and kissed her then moved down her face and he kissed her on the lips with more passion than he had ever put into anything. At this moment she was his entire life and he could not be without her now or ever. He could sense that she felt the same as she returned his kiss, unbounded.

She pulled away, "we must go Verbal," she looked deep into his eyes. "Come with me."


End file.
